Report of the Viticultural Inspector. 875 



REPORT OF THE VITICULTURAL INSPECTOR. 



G. H. Adcoch, F.L.S. 



RUTHERGLEN. 



Since the issue of our last i-eport we have lost the services of 

 Mr. P. VV^yatt, who has gone to an important Government position in 

 South Africa. 



The work of distributing the American resistant vines has been 

 continued, but under somewhat different conditions to those formerly 

 existing. As forecasted in last year's report, a charge is now made 

 for both cuttings and rootlings. In 1903 we sold and despatched 

 92,000 of these resistant stocks, of which about one half wei'e sent to 

 Cape Colony and New Zealand. 



The mother stocks, under the more favorable climatic conditions, 

 made almost phenomenal growth,' and the future supply of wood for 

 cuttings or grafts is amply assured for all likely demands, not only 

 in this but other States. 



Grafting operations were carried on as usual, and with increased 

 success. The favorable season materially assisted in giving us a 

 high percentage of "strike." The shed at present utilised for the 

 bench grafting is very unsuitable, and early this year I submitted 

 plans of a building that would not only prove convenient, but would 

 be economical by reducing time and handling. It is to be hoped thi> 

 necessary provision for carrying out a very important work will be 

 undertaken in the early future. The subsequent care of the grafted 

 scions is even more important and more difficult than the actual 

 grafting. The grafted cuttings must be carefully tended. They 

 must not be allowed to become too moist or too dry, and the tempera- 

 ture must be kept as even as possible. They are therefore packed in 

 sand, and protected during cold nights and wet weather under glass 

 frames. Over 35,000 grafted rootlings were submitted for sale this 

 year. 



The phylloxera is steadily spreading, and a further area has been 

 uprooted and is to be replanted this season. The reconstituted 

 I3ortion of the College vineyard, situated as it is alongside the main 

 road, naturally attracts a good deal of attention from growers. It 

 affords the best advertisement the resistant stocks could possibly have, 

 as it is surrounded with phylloxerated European vines. The growth 

 of the grafted vines (Schiraz on American stocks) has elicited 

 unstinted praise from visitors, and especially from several practical 

 inter-state viticulturists. They have also succeeded beyond ray most 

 sanguine expectations. 



This method of reconstitution, by spreading the cost over several 

 seasons is recommended to the vigneron who is imfortunate enough 

 to have his vines phylloxerated. As the European vines become 



